See Yoga Australia Registered Courses by Valerie Fimat-Faneco here

Valerie is a reputed teacher who started to practice yoga in 1994. She began teaching in 1999 in the USA after taking a 200 hours course, and then went on to complete more than 8 combined years of training in the tradition of Krishnamacharya with her mentor Frans Moors in Belgium and at the KYM in India with Mr Desikachar and other senior teachers.

Through these long studies and decades of personal practice she has gained expertise in all tools of yoga: postures and their modifications (asana), breathing techniques (pranayama), energetic seals (mudra), energetic locks (bandha) the use of sounds and mantra in yoga practice, visualisation (bhavana), meditative techniques (dhyana), Yoga philosophy, and the pedagogy of teaching people of all ages and abilities, including seniors, pregnant women, children and athletes.

As a Teacher Trainer certified under the direct supervision of Mr. Desikachar in 2007, she has been conducting teacher training courses and mentoring yoga teachers. Her 600 hours course has been rated as one of the most in-depth and comprehensive courses in the Asia-Pacific region.

Valerie followed the 4-year Yoga Therapist Training Program in the tradition of Krishnamacharya in India and graduated at the KYM in Chennai. She teaches therapeutic yoga, helping her students incorporate realistic yoga programs in their daily life, dealing with all sorts of health conditions or simply giving them tools to stay fit.

For the past several years she has also helped executives and athletes, including swimmers, outrigger canoe paddlers and deep sea divers. Her experience brings her referrals by word of mouth and from the medical community. Valerie was twice assistant senior teacher at the annual KHYF Global Yoga Summit in Austria in 2010 and 2011.

She has lectured and conducted workshops for schools and organisations in Singapore such as the Singapore Air Force, the Singapore American School, True Yoga, and Touch the Toes, amongst others.

Valerie’s passion is Vedic chanting and the study of yogic texts, especially Patanjali’s Yoga-Sutra. In March 2012, she translated the book Liberating Isolation: the Yoga-Sutra of Patañjali, a commentary of Patanjali’s Yoga-Sutra by Frans Moors, which was published in India. She occasionally contributes articles to yoga magazines in the region. She is a committed student of the Sanskrit language and is currently completing a four-year Bachelor degree in Sanskrit with the Australian National University in Canberra.

After 17 years in Singapore, Valerie moved Perth with her family in 2021 and is now serving the Western Australian Yoga community in person, as well as a larger circle of international and Australian students through online studies.

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Yoga Alliance E-RYT 500 | Senior Yoga Teacher

Yoga Alliance | Continuing Education Program Facilitator (YACEP)

1991 | Master degree, Mandarin Chinese, INALCO Paris

1999 | Kripalu Centre for Yoga & Health, USA| Yoga Teacher (200 hrs)

2005 | AAYA, Frans Moors, Belgium | Senior Yoga Teacher (600+ hrs)

2007 | KYM Chennai, India | Certified Teacher Trainer

2015 | Certified Yoga Therapist (4 year program – KYM India – 1200+ hours)

2022-23 | 3nd & 4th Year Bachelor in Sanskrit language, ANU Canberra

For more information, please go to:

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Contact Valerie

TESTIMONIALS:

I have been studying Yoga Philosophy with Valerie Faneco since 2016, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Yoga Sutra of Patanjali and currently Samhkya Karika.

Valerie is an outstanding teacher, her knowledge of the texts reflects her own many years of conscientious study, her presentation of topics and content is simple, clear and thorough, and her courses are extremely well prepared and planned. I was fortunate to be able to host her for a workshop in 2019 in Applecross, where the feedback from the participants was universally positive, several stating that she had clarified concepts that had previously seemed obscure . I have also experienced her teaching of group Yoga classes, {Asana , Pranayama and Meditation. } In this area too she is a skilled, experienced and creative teacher.

I cannot recommend her highly enough, she will be an asset as a senior member of Yoga Australia.

Morag Local, Perth, 2021, Senior Yoga Teacher, Yoga Therapist

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I have studied the complete yoga sutras [4 chapters] under the guidance of Valerie for the last one and half years as part of a small study group.  Throughout the course, Valerie has imparted all her teachings and all her knowledge in such a style that these esoteric texts are taught and questioned until they are understood. Valerie reviews each previous lesson, relates difficult concepts with modern and personal analogies and always has space for any questions. Valerie’s effective handouts, Skype sessions and recorded classes for those who are unable to attend ensure all members are on the same page every time we meet.

I have also hosted Valerie at True Yoga for a 2 day workshop on Pranayama, delving into its theory and practice. Valerie defined pranayama from the ancient texts, yet taught us pranayama techniques that were ideal for a daily practice.

I plan to continue studying under Valerie with a repeat of the yoga sutra course and of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika.

Rohit Mistry, 2016, Yoga Teacher @ True Yoga Singapore

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I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful session on Saturday. You are a fabulous teacher – clear, measured in delivery and content, and so totally yourself.

I’m in awe of your intellect and discipline and sheer ability to fit so much thorough study into your life. Samkhya is always around the edges of how we study in this lineage but I’ve never before had the opportunity to study it. Thank you. It looks as though we might be entering the same sort of rabbit hole that presents itself with the study of the sutra-s. I love it. As you said, the more you study this stuff the more you find. And then of course there is the sorting and remembering with one’s own mind pictures.

Many thanks

Sally Riddell, Perth, September 2020

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Thank you Valerie for your class. And thank you for the inspiration it is giving me to work on my own meditation practice.

Jonathan Marshall, Singapore, October 2020

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Hi Valerie, I just watched session 2 [of Samkhya webinar] and loved it! Thank you, it all made sense to me. It really does help having such a strong knowledge of Yoga Sutras and I am finding it valuable being able to draw the parallels. I am enjoying having to think deeper about these concepts than what I have done before. It is testing my mind – but in a good way. See you in November!

Jill Harris, Samkhya Webinar – Melbourne, October 2020

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I found your teaching and our discussions deepening my understanding of the yoga-sutra as a text of wisdom and also the practical use of tools presented to diminish duhkha. Best

Ingalena Heggen, Stockholm, Sweden, October 2020

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Thank you Valerie for another lovely class.  What a treat!! I look forward to next month.

Paola Feher, Yoga Teacher, Minnesota (USA), 2020

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I really enjoyed the workshop and it was so good and refreshing to have a workshop on another limb of yoga. I thought Valerie was excellent, I found her explanations very clear and understandable, particularly for concepts that are not easy to grasp. I really enjoyed the practices as well

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Thank you for organising this wonderful workshop with Valerie. I particularly enjoyed the blend and flow of asana, pranayama, chanting, visualisation, meditation, devotion and lecture and feel very grateful to partake of Valerie’s warmth and clarity.

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I really enjoyed the day. I loved Valerie. I think the content was great but also her knowledge, presentation and communication was great and she seemed like a really lovely authentic person

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Valerie is a wonderful teacher and I was absolutely in awe of her depth and range of knowledge.

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The emphasis that Valerie places on the yoga practice is the breath. The asanas that we do are relatively straight forward (in comparison to other complex yoga styles) but coupled with the breath control, they become very powerful. At the end of a yoga session you come away feeling stress free and feeling connected to your inner self. Valerie’s style and guidance is such that you take responsibility for yourself.

Karl Wischki, Singapore, student from 2005 to 2012

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I took up yoga after a health crisis and tried a number of instructors before meeting Valerie. Working with her yoga practice has helped me to internalize breathing and calming techniques and made me feel more in tune with my body.

Alison Cannon, Singapore, student from 2007 – 2012

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I have attended classes and had sessions with many different teachers but yoga with Valerie was a very different and more rewarding experience. The class moves at a pleasant, not hurried pace, the students are encouraged to breathe into and feel the postures and Valerie gives every student her care and attention. A class with her is joyously uplifting.

Neil Riley, Singapore, 2009

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Hi Valerie,

I have been thrilled with my yoga class.  I like the increased difficulty.  I am learning new things and am feeling like I am pushing myself in a positive way.  I appreciate your instruction.  You obviously know your practice well.  It has been really fun to work with you. I do look forward to yoga every week!

Elise Deklotz, Singapore, student from 2005 to 2011

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I have been enjoying Yoga.  I have taken yoga many times over the past year and have never been to a class that the instructor did not do all the poses with the class and the group moved in sequence.  I understand that you have a different approach and am hoping that I have the internal drive to motivate myself to work hard. Thanks for all that you do.

Robin Balshaw, Singapore, student in 2008 and 2009

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Valerie,

I love your class!! At first I thought it difficult to remember to count and the steps but I realize how much better it is that I have to do the concentrating rather than mindlessly following you.  It does keep my mind off work and on my breathing more.

Pearl Morris, Singapore, student from 2010 to 2012

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I had completed 2 extremely physically rigorous yoga teacher trainings and been teaching for 5 years already by the time I met Valerie in 2014. Beseeched by my chiropractor, I came to Valerie as a yoga therapy client for advise on my postures. I was injured and in a lot of pain but convinced it was because I wasn’t trying the “right” way.

To my initial chagrin, Valerie gave me a very slow and gentle practice, which took me on a journey, scary and uncomfortable at first, of discovery of vast dimensions inside myself. Over time, the pain got better, and many of my self-critical attitudes changed. Under Valerie’s guidance I have found joy and wonder once again in practice, and in myself. This helps me in life. I continue to study with Valerie, even from abroad, in her yoga sutra courses and her yoga teacher training course.

Vanessa Ramirez, 2016, Mexico

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Learning yoga with Miss Valerie has been amazing. Miss Valerie is always so patient and understanding when I can’t do a posture properly and she is so encouraging. I can’t believe how far I’ve come from where I started. I feel like every lesson I learn something new about yoga.

Rhea Shankar  age 14, Singapore, 2018 (student since 2009)

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Learning yoga with Miss Valerie is great. I started doing yoga when I was five years old. Miss Valerie is a brilliant yoga teacher. She is so patient and doesn’t force us to do anything we don’t want to do. She is also very encouraging. When I was scared of doing a head stand, she talked me through it because of which I was able to do it. Doing yoga is the best and one of my favourite things to do.”

Anika Shankar, 11 years, Singapore, 2018 (student since 2009)

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Valerie Faneco is not only an outstanding teacher of yoga but an inspirational person. I have been seeing her for eight years now. Prior to working with Valerie, and over many years, I intermittently enrolled in group yoga classes but nothing stuck with me. Then I discovered Valerie and yoga therapy. I don’t exaggerate when I say that I want to learn from Valerie for the rest of my life.

I learned early on from Valerie that, as with much else in life, so with yoga, one size doesn’t fit all. Valerie brings a solid knowledge of yoga, its philosophy, history and purpose, combined with wisdom, compassion, and patience, to bear on each of her student’s specific needs. And she is clear that individual needs change over time so she tailors the practice to fit physical and emotional needs as these change. I often marvel at her reading of health and mental concerns and her prescription of movements and breathing techniques to address these concerns. Valerie is meticulous in her attention to detail, detail that could make the difference between, for example, discomfort in one knee or leg and comfortable movement.

Valerie is a teacher and a lifelong learner. She is humble in her approach to yoga. While she already has impressive credentials, having studied with the family of Krishnamacharya and Desikachar in India, and with Frans Moors in Belgium, she often attends courses to deepen her knowledge and engagement with yoga.

Given her own endless journey of learning, Valerie is the perfect teacher. She adapts her solid training in yoga practice and philosophy to the nuanced needs of individual students.

Valerie has been a great find for me, she continues to make a difference in my physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychic life. And I love the nuggets of age-old wisdom that she shares with me during our sessions.

Dr Mandakini Arora, Historian, Singapore, 2016, private student since 2008

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You’ve been an integral part of my life for more than 10 years, and Iam grateful for all that I have learnt with you and because of you, and I would like to thank you for everything.  I have grown because of your mentorship, and our friendship.

PT Yeoh, Singapore, Feb 2021

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I took this teacher training course with the intention of helping others through the work of yoga. But it was actually the start of an inward journey towards a better understanding of myself, and I realized that I am the one who received the greatest help.

I am happy that this course requires 2 1/2 years to complete because it takes time to integrate the teachings into daily life and it is through consistent practice that inner transformations are able to take place. It also requires discipline and commitment to stay on the path of yoga.

I am grateful to my teacher, Valerie, for her patience, timely encouragements and strong faith in yoga, which gave me motivation to continue on this path.

As this is a comprehensive course that includes the in-depth study of the various tools of yoga, I feel well equipped as I begin my outer journey of helping others though this work of yoga.

Siew Cheng Koh (Singapore & Malaysia), 2012

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I had never expected to become a teacher. I was just fascinated with yoga and wanted to know more about it. The course covers all the aspects of Yoga. Chanting and Yogasutra are my favorites.

Valerie has been a very precise, practical, clear, profound and caring teacher.

She has every detail you would ever need to know and if she does not, she has the best sources to find out.  The material she gives is complete, very clear and neat.

Overall, I would say it is a great experience not just for people who want to become Yoga Teacher, but for anyone who wants to go deeper in life. It has been a fascinating journey of blossoming and growth. I am very grateful.

Natalia Bruchilari, 2012, Argentina

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I was trained by Valerie between January 2013 and June 2015 and it was a life changing journey. During this extensive 550 hours (+++!) Teacher Training program, conducted according to Krishamacharya tradition, I’ve learned the basics of what I needed to teach in an appropriate manner to my students.

For each of the asanas we studied (50 in total) or breathing techniques (pranayama) we studied, we spent a fair amount of time digging what could be harmful for some conditions, when we could do it or not, what would be the expected effects of such practices, and also how we should prepare the body before doing this asana and how to compensate. We learned the basics of building a sequence of asanas that will have the right dosage of strength and relaxation, with the proper warm up and cool down sequences.

We’ve also learned adaptations that should be proposed in some cases or in response certain pain or conditions.

Besides and probably the most life changing element of all this was the study of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, one of the most respected Yoga text / philosophy. That really has turned my perspective on many things. Coming from the corporate world, I started this training more with a personal development and self-enrichment objective. I ended up teaching full time and gave up my corporate life and I bet the Yoga Sutra studies played a big part in this!

I’ve liked the curriculum and the fact it was spread out. It has allowed me to digest the dense information from one week end to another (approx 5-6 weeks later). The home studies in between 2 modules was also a great way to make sure the information was well absorbed and understood.

Indeed I enjoyed it so much that I am continuing the journey with further yoga studies while teaching nowadays.

I’ve very much liked Valerie and the way she passed on her immense knowledge always in a very humble way and to the level I was ready to take at each step. Thanks Valerie !

Celine Chambat, 2015, Portugal

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I have done the TT training with Valerie, first as a way to learn more about yoga and how to do myself good. In reality it has been an amazing and life changing journey. The pace of the training, the wealth of information and knowledge that were shared and offered, the personal reflection that was required were at the heart of this training. It has put yoga at the heart of my life. it started with posture and physical well-being and it moved into a deepest sense of self, connection to oneself and to the others. I can only highly recommend the journey!

Jehanne Phares Hakime, Singapore, 2015

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Passed from teacher to student  through direct lineage from Krishnamacharya, the EKA 500hrs is highly recommended for those seeking authentic classical yoga according to the teachings of Sri Krishnamacharya. Valerie has a wealth of knowledge to share with students, covering pranayama, chanting, meditation, postures and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra. The material learnt can be applied and taught in different ways to all stages of life and simply just being in yoga will become a very positive ongoing lifestyle change.

Monique Morley, Singapore – New Zealand, 2021